JD Vance
James David Vance (JD Vance) is an American politician, author, and attorney, currently serving as the 50th Vice President of the United States since 2025 in the administration of President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, Vance represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 2023 to 2025. He also holds the role of finance chair for the Republican National Committee.
He gained national recognition as the author ofHillbilly Elegy(2016), a memoir that detailed his experiences growing up in the working class of Appalachia. The book became a bestseller and was adapted into a film in 2020.
Although Vance was initially critical of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016, he became a staunch supporter during Trump's first term. In 2022, Vance won Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat, defeating Democratic candidate Tim Ryan. He served in the Senate from January 2023 to January 2025. In 2024, Trump selected Vance as his vice-presidential running mate, and the two triumphed in the 2024 election, defeating Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Vance made history as the first Millennial to hold the office of vice president and is the third-youngest individual to assume this role in U.S. history. Known for his national conservative and right-wing populist views, he identifies as a member of the postliberal right. His political stance includes opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control. Vance is also known for his outspoken critiques of childlessness and his embrace of Catholic social teachings in shaping his political perspectives.
Born in Middletown, Ohio, and raised primarily in Eastern Kentucky. After graduating from Middletown High School, Vance enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a military journalist from 2003 to 2007. His deployment to Iraq in 2005 lasted six months. Following his service, Vance attended Ohio State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2009, and then went on toYale Law School, where he received his law degree in 2013. He initially worked as a corporate lawyer before transitioning to the tech industry as a venture capitalist.
